The unusual time signatures in the Brubeck Quartet's Time Out, series were partly inspired by rhythms they'd heard touring the world in the late 1950s, as well as by Brubeck's studies with classical composer Darius Milhaud. "I wanted to play against the rhythm sections rather than with them, just as a modern choreographer does in ballet," Brubeck once said. "It was very hard to get a rhythm section to do what I wanted it to do." Among the classic originals introduced on this 1961 release are "It's a Raggy Waltz," "Bluette," and "Unsquare Dance." Other highlights include "Slow and Easy," "Maori Blues," and a second version of "It's a Raggy Waltz" from a 1963 Carnegie Hall concert.

"The composer of 'Take Five' was the alto player Paul Desmond. Desmond's unmistakable tone—dry, floating, incisive—was central to the sound of Mr. Brubeck's quartet, which from its formation in 1951 to its disbanding in 1967, dominated both reader polls and sales charts. Desmond's lyricism and understatement ideally complemented Mr. Brubeck's more earthbound pianism."—Boston Globe